This is an awesome fiction story for illustrating the devastating effects of the construction of the Berlin Wall, after WWII and during the Cold War.
Overnight Greta's family is ripped in half as the wall goes up and her father and older brother are on the West side, looking for work. Her grandmother, mother and other brother Fritz are left behind.
Still, no matter what the East German government does or says, Greta never loses her determination to reunite with her father. She loses her best friend, her neighbors turn spies for the Stasi, and her family is under close watch for her father's "resistance" activities before the construction of the wall.
One day, while walking to school, she sees her father on the roof of a West side building. He mimicks shoveling, and together (without saying a word) they hatch a daring plan which will test the entire family's determination, perseverance, and ability to lie, dissemble and deceive everyone around them.
Teacher's Note:
There are some excellent FREE teaching resources for this novel.
The author, on her webpage, offers a free read aloud of the first chapter, a publisher-produced discussion guide with four comprehension questions and nine additional activities (although you have to scroll through her other books to find it), a link to Reading Through History's YouTube video of The Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall, and a short FAQ / interview with the author, which includes some "What happens to the characters after the story?" answers your students may love to read!
The best set of teaching materials I encountered was offered by Teaching and Technology Ideas, with awesome downloadable comprehension questions (chapter-by-chapter), and additional ideas for teaching with the book.
And of course, my favorite pay for teaching materials site, Teachers Pay Teachers, offers plenty of resources for teaching this book. There are currently three listed for free.
